We often refer to our teaching as “covering the concepts”. Making sure everything is covered, including our asses. In subjects matter chapter 6, we discover there is more to “covering” a subject, and this includes “uncovering”. Now that sounds weird. Let me expand. In what we do in the classroom, we are looking to cover the information and make sure we have enough time to do so. What we really should be seeking however, is an uncovering of knowledge so that our students can be deeply understanding the material we are covering in class. In uncovering we should seek for our students to discover and be curious, to learn more than just the broadest understanding. So how do we get this depth over breadth concept? Here we can turn towards the advice given in subjects matter. In this the author suggests that assigning a few pages for a student to read is “neither teaching nor learning” (pg 146). Chapter 6 gives alternate suggestions to just “assigning a few pages” and presents arguments for a broader sense of “uncovering the knowledge”.
In chapter 6 we learn several ways to use textbooks more effectively. The very first point the author brings up is that we, as educators, should have empathy. Because we have read the book an extra 5 or 10 times, can mean things get lost in translation. We know what we’re talking about, but a child may not have a clue in reading their first time around. It helps that we recognize this and put in the effort to help the students get started in reading. Providing front-loading strategies to prepare them for their reading is becoming more and more popular, and it helps students feel ready to do the learning. Subjects matter also suggests we never leave kids alone with their textbooks; use the time with the book to promote collaborative efforts, having students work in pairs and groups. This can help supplement social interaction and stir their interests by allowing students to discuss what they think and don’t understand. From here we as educators can infer what qualms our students still have and can supplement the reading with more resources, as we do live in a world full of outside resources.
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Thanks, Courtney. I do want to underline the point you made regarding the collaborative approach to textbook reading. I would imagine that in most disciplines students can work together to understand textbook readings and understand more than they might independently.
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